Chapter 23
Chapter 23
When Zhou Ming tore the skill book apart, pale red energy spilled from its pages. It transformed into a strange stream of light and shot into the space between his brows.
“Ding!”
[System: Congratulations! You have successfully learned [Fireball] (C-Rank Skill)!]
“Now that’s a Flame Demon Lord!” Zhou Ming exclaimed, delighted and astonished.
Merely mastering Fireball would never have excited him this much. The truly terrifying benefit was the ability to learn fire-related skills regardless of their normal restrictions.
After all, nothing in the Flame Demon Lord’s description said it had to be a melee class!
In other words, ignoring skill requirements and mastering fire-element abilities meant he could…
Master both magic and martial combat!
But just as he thought the learning process had ended, another system chime rang beside his ear.
“Ding!”
[System: Due to [Flame Demon Lord]’s exceptionally high fire-element affinity, your skill [Fireball] (C Rank) has advanced to [Greater Fireball] (B Rank)!]
Zhou Ming had no words.
What could he possibly say?
This was fucking incredible!
Zhou Ming searched the general store for a while longer. After confirming there was nothing else worth buying, he turned and left.
At this stage, most skills came directly from class advancement. A Tier 3 town also possessed limited resources, so there simply was not much for sale.
When he returned to the street, it had grown quiet and deserted. Moonlight flowed like water, bringing stillness and peace.
Grrrgl!
His stomach let out another untimely growl, as if warning its owner that he had spent too long online.
Rather than log out immediately, Zhou Ming opened his inventory and looked at the benefit god-tier expert Mo Yun had so kindly delivered to him.
[Pet Capture Stone] (Rare A-Rank Item)
[Description: Capturing a pet is no simple task. Prepare yourself for failure.]
[Item Effect: Capture chance +60% for Radiant pets and below; +30% for pets above Radiant; +10% for Celestial Spirit pets and above.]
…
“It’ll probably be a while before this becomes useful.”
The reward did not surprise Zhou Ming.
Mo Yun knew perfectly well they were enemies. Naturally, he would not give Zhou Ming anything that could immediately increase his combat power.
The Pet Capture Stone only raised the probability of success. It did not guarantee anything. Mo Yun was undoubtedly hoping Zhou Ming would fail the capture and end up with nothing.
After some thought, Zhou Ming opened the system panel and logged out.
Thanks to the Gaibang Guild, today had been another tremendously profitable day.
…
After removing the gaming helmet, Zhou Ming ordered himself a late-night meal.
While waiting, he turned on his computer and browsed the internet. The very first trending topic he saw concerned him.
“Second Day After Launch: Zhouyou Shijie Slaughters Over One Hundred Players!”
He opened the article and discovered that someone had uploaded a video of his battle against the Gaibang Guild, sparking heated discussion.
Bumper Calves: “He’s already this strong on the second day? Where’s the game balance?”
My Son Fengxian: “I thought he was a paid shill, but he’s actually a real person!”
Let Go of That Lady: “What exactly is the God-Demon Orb? Is it on Zhouyou Shijie? Will it drop if we kill him?”
…
Countless people posted replies.
Most harbored malice toward Zhouyou Shijie, or more precisely, greed for the bounty.
The company had revealed little about unique hidden classes, but judging by Zhou Ming’s combat power, they had to be outrageously strong.
Anyone who obtained one would inevitably rise to prominence in *Destiny*.
“Looks like the plan worked perfectly!” Zhou Ming was delighted.
Becoming the number-one enemy of countless players was exactly what he needed right now.
The Trial of the Seven Sins demanded that he kill a Silver boss thirty levels above him. That was simply too difficult!
Under normal circumstances, no player could accomplish it in the early game.
Unless…
The other players united to help him overcome the trial!
As for their hostility, Zhou Ming could not have cared less.
At this point, a whole group of god-tier experts wanted Zhou Ming dead and had probably been plotting in secret for quite some time. Adding a mob of players to the list hardly increased the pressure.
Ding-dong!
Before long, the doorbell rang.
Zhou Ming accepted the delivery and opened the container. A rich aroma immediately filled the air.
Braised chicken over rice!
It was a popular homestyle dish, and paired with soft, fluffy rice, it was enough to awaken anyone’s appetite.
Once he had eaten his fill, Zhou Ming rested for a while. Then he washed up, lay down in bed, and fell deeply asleep.
…
At the same time, inside the bustling capital.
A group of men in suits quietly watched a video. The footage showed Zhou Ming’s chaotic battle against the Gaibang Guild.
Only after they had studied it carefully from beginning to end did the middle-aged man at their head speak.
“What do all of you think?”
“Reaching this level on *Destiny*’s second day shows tremendous potential,” someone praised.
“I believe he’ll definitely become one of the strongest combatants in the future!”
The others voiced their agreement.
“I disagree.”
A voice suddenly interrupted the discussion with a completely opposing opinion.
“Oh?”
The middle-aged man turned toward a hale and hearty elder. “Elder Zhang, why do you say that?”
“The tallest tree catches the wind,” Zhang Nianwen said. “In my experience, the exceptional people who truly rise above the rest are rarely the ones who shine brightest at the very beginning. I have a feeling he will struggle to make it to the end.”
“That’s certainly reasonable.”
Lin Zhongshan nodded, finding the assessment aligned with his own thoughts.
The bounty was simply too valuable!
Zhouyou Shijie’s situation was far more dangerous than it appeared. If he ever suffered a defeat, the first crack could cause the entire wall to collapse as everyone piled on.
Ultimately, the winner was whoever could laugh at the end.
“Now that I think about it, isn’t your grandson the founder of the Gaibang Guild?”
“Brother Lin, you truly are well informed!”
Zhang Nianwen nodded with a sigh. “That boy has done well for himself. To encounter such an enormous opportunity on the second day after launch…”
“If that’s true, why didn’t he come out to fight Zhouyou Shijie?” someone asked.
“Because he has yet to fully digest the opportunity. He needs a little time!”
Zhang Nianwen glanced dismissively at Zhou Ming in the video. “There is no need to make this man a priority. I’ll leave my prediction here: my grandson will be the one to claim the bounty on his head!”
…
The next day.
Zhou Ming slept until he woke naturally, completely refreshed.
After buying two steamed buns to fill his stomach, he immediately put on the gaming helmet and returned to battle.
He absolutely could not afford to slack off.
The level rankings had not opened yet, so he could not see other players’ exact progress. Even so, Zhou Ming knew everyone was quietly accumulating strength.
No matter the game, the Eastern Region was always filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Powerful figures emerged without warning.
If he became too complacent, he might wake up one day to find himself serving as someone else’s stepping-stone.
Whoosh!
Brilliant white light flashed, and Zhou Ming appeared on a busy street in Qingshui Town amid flowing crowds and lively voices.
He hurried out of town, then opened the map to search for a suitable leveling area.
Time was short.
Today, he had to increase his combat power as much as possible. Tomorrow, he would devote everything to completing the Trial of the Seven Sins.
Slash!
Without warning, a cold gleam traced an arc toward Zhou Ming’s neck.
He had long since noticed the assassin following him. With a slight step to the side, he slipped out of the attack’s path.
MISS!
The symbol indicating an evasion floated into the air.
“You dodged that?” The assassin stared in disbelief.
Zhou Ming sent the attacker on his way with one swing of his sword, then swept a cold gaze across the surroundings.
“Anyone else?!”
…
The players who had been itching to try their luck fell silent. None dared join the attack.
After intimidating the clueless rookies, Zhou Ming departed at an unhurried pace.
…